A familiar face.

 Sitting over by the Skagway town hall is an old worn out steam engine. This locomotive served on the White Pass and Yukon Route from 1943 until the 60s. While I have never been to Alaska before when I walked over to the town hall I saw a familiar face. 

"December 7th 1941, a date which will live in infamy"

The Empire of Japan performed an unprovoked surprise attack on the United States Naval Base in Pearl Harbor Hawaii. Other attacks on other U.S.N. bases around the pacific soon followed. The U.S. Territory of Alaska was very much at risk as well as the United States citizens who lived there. 

The decision was made, that a highway should be built to connect Alaska with the interior of the United States, passing through the heartland of Canada on the way. Should the Empire of Japan decide to invade Alaska. This would be the last line of defense for the two allies on this side of the globe. 

The Alcan Military Highway, would become one of several massive government projects happening simultaneously throughout WWII. The only problem with building a highway where no road even existed before was the question of how to get personnel and material from the ports along the coasts into the interior. The answer came from a small narrow gauge railroad out of Skagway Alaska. 

The United States Army took over the WP&YR Railroad and quickly deployed the 770th Railway operating battalion from the United States Army Transportation Corps. 

When the Transportation Corps arrived in Skagway they found a tired little railroad with tired, and worn out little engines.

The Army began buying up narrow gauge steam locomotives from all over the United States. 

The Sumpter Valley Railway, Denver and Rio Grande Western, and the ET&WNC RR. All sent locomotives, and other equipment to help with the war effort in Alaska. However the round the clock trains that the Army needed required more motive power. The USATC ordered ten brand new meter gauge class S-118 steam locomotives to be modified to run on three foot gauge track, and prepared to be sent to Alaska. These locomotives would be called "The 190 Class" 

The United States Army Transportation Corps classified their engines by weight. 

The smallest locomotives ordered by the USATC were the S-100 tank engines. So called because they possessed super heated boilers, and weight just over 100 tons with fully loaded tanks, and coal bunker. 

Likewise the S-118s were Superheated locomotives, weighing at around 118 tons. These locomotives had a 2-8-2 wheel arrangement. 2 pilot wheels to navigate sharp turns, 8 large drive wheels propelling the locomotive, and 2 trailing truck wheels holding the weight of the firebox. 

At any other time in US history these locomotives would have been called Mikados. However with Mikado being a Japanese word for "Emperor" this was not exactly a politically correct name for a locomotive type built to fight the Japanese. So these 2-8-2s were named "MacArthur" type steam locomotives. 

After nine months of construction, the impossible highway proved to be possible, and the ALCAN Military Highway was finished. After the war WP&YR held on to a few of the US Army steam locomotives. 190, 192, 193, 195, and 196. 

One by one each of the 190s were retired, 193 and 196 were buried in the Skagway river to serve as levies. However 190 and 192 both went down to the lower 48, as they were purchased by a North Carolina businessman who had dreams of bringing tourists to the southern Appalachian Mountains. 

WP&YR 190 "The Yukon Queen" would find herself working at Tweetsie Railroad theme park in Blowing Rock, NC. 

WP&YR #192 "KLONDIKE KATY" AS SHE WOULD HAVE LOOKED WHEN I RODE IN HER CAB IN 2004

192 "Klondike Katy" would go on to pull the world famous "Dollywood Express" 

at the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, TN. Growing up I rode behind both of these locomotives 192 will always hold a special place in my heart as she was the very first steam locomotive I ever got to ride in the cab of in 2004. 

So it is only fitting that three thousand miles from home, I find some comfort in a somewhat "familiar face."